A photographer's side-by-side pictures compare China's fake Paris to the real one

Sophie-Claire HoellerSep 4, 2020, 20:22 IST

A couple in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right).Francois Prost

China is home to many copycat cities, and has its own versions of Hallstatt, Austria, and Venice, Italy.
Tianducheng, China, is home to a realistic Paris replica complete with its own Eiffel Tower.
Paris-based photographer François Prost flew to Tianducheng to compare his hometown to the copycat version.
The similarities in his photos of the two are striking.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Paris should be very flattered.

While China has created detailed replicas of cities like Hallstatt, Austria, and Venice, Italy, its faux City of Lights takes the cake.

In fact, it almost had Paris-based photographer François Prost, fooled.

Prost spent a week in 2017 traveling to the copycat city in Tianducheng to compare it to his hometown, and his photos are so similar that it can be hard to tell which were taken in China and which were taken in France.

His photos have now been compiled into a book, called "Paris, China."

Keep scrolling to see if you can tell them apart.

François Prost, a French photographer and graphic designer, told Insider that he's been fascinated by China's replicas of European cities and monuments for a while.

A building in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right). Francois Prost

François Prost, a French photographer and graphic designer, told Insider that he's been fascinated by China's replicas of European cities and monuments for a while.

He flew to Tianducheng, China, for a week in late 2017 and called it "surreal."

A tourist in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right). Francois Prost

Prost said he saw famous Parisian landmarks completely devoid of tourists on his first day in Tianducheng.

Le Fontaine de l'Observatoire in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right). Francois Prost

But he soon found that Tianducheng was a very residential place filled with families.

Le Bassin d'Apollon in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right). Francois Prost

Besides the architecture, Prost said Tianducheng hadn't adopted a thing from its French counterpart.

A streetlight in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right). Francois Prost

While Prost meant to only photograph the imitation architecture, he was quickly drawn in by the people who call this fake Paris home without caring that it's a copycat city.

A sanitation worker in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right). Francois Prost

While Prost meant to only photograph the imitation architecture, he was quickly drawn in by the people who call this fake Paris home without caring that it's a copycat city.

He took hundreds of photos in Tianducheng, then spent months trying to replicate them in Paris, working to get the angles just right.

A building in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right). Francois Prost

He said there were three main areas in Tianducheng that looked like Paris.

A fountain at Versailles in France (left) and in China (right). Francois Prost

One spot in particular, on a hill with a view of the Eiffel Tower, really struck him.

A couple in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right). Francois Prost

Seeing these striking similarities in two destinations that are almost 6,000 miles apart got him thinking about what makes a place authentic.

Versailles in France (left) and in China (right). Francois Prost

Prost says that despite the Champs-Élysées being an iconic symbol of Paris, it doesn't feel Parisian to him at all.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (left), and in Tianducheng, China (right). Francois Prost

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A photographer's side-by-side pictures compare China's fake Paris to the real one

François Prost, a French photographer and graphic designer, told Insider that he's been fascinated by China's replicas of European cities and monuments for a while.

He flew to Tianducheng, China, for a week in late 2017 and called it "surreal."

Prost said he saw famous Parisian landmarks completely devoid of tourists on his first day in Tianducheng.

But he soon found that Tianducheng was a very residential place filled with families.

Besides the architecture, Prost said Tianducheng hadn't adopted a thing from its French counterpart.

While Prost meant to only photograph the imitation architecture, he was quickly drawn in by the people who call this fake Paris home without caring that it's a copycat city.

He took hundreds of photos in Tianducheng, then spent months trying to replicate them in Paris, working to get the angles just right.

He said there were three main areas in Tianducheng that looked like Paris.

One spot in particular, on a hill with a view of the Eiffel Tower, really struck him.

Seeing these striking similarities in two destinations that are almost 6,000 miles apart got him thinking about what makes a place authentic.

Prost says that despite the Champs-Élysées being an iconic symbol of Paris, it doesn't feel Parisian to him at all.